I met Laura Rada through work about a year ago and I basically developed a huge friend crush on her because she basically emits laughter and smiles wherever she goes. I was SO excited when she and her husband got pregnant because I was a couple months pregnant with Ellie and it’s always amazing to have pregnant friends when you’re pregnant too. (Hoping for that next time around as well! :)) Anyways, it was so neat to watch her belly grow each day and hear her tossing around names that she and her husband were deciding between. They finally decided on Chloe and it totally just clicked–it seemed so perfect for this precious little girl. Time has FLOWN by and I am so excited that she is finally here. And boy is she gorgeous, just like her parents. Meet Chloe Lea Rada!

Don’t worry about me, just crying my eyes out as I type this. I don’t know where to start except that I feel so honored that I could do these pictures before we move. This family. I feel like I should end there because there is too much to say. (Also, so fitting to write this on 11/11).

Sarah stayed with us in the hospital when we had Ellie. Like. Literally spent the night on a tiny little cot beside our beds, serving us, praying for us, holding Ellie, and doing all the things that few have the courage to do. In the deepest and darkest and worst and most beautiful moments, they were there, front and center, fighting for our family and our girl. Bryan agreed to lead her sweet funeral which I can’t even imagine how hard it must have been..I surely could not have done it. I used to feel so much guilt having asked them to do so much in regards to Ellie, but now I know that it just made us closer. They are family. They cry for Ellie still and their experience with her was as close as close could be….it’s indescribable having friends who have seen her and held her and even helped Chris to bathe her before saying goodbye. I will never understand…I will just never understand that kind of selflessness. Moving away from them is going to be insanely challenging. I am confident that Sarah will be present at every one of my births. It’s basically set in stone. I secretly (not so secretly) hope there is a Tate/Mudder marriage in the future but I promise I’m not going to pressure anybody. JKItotallyam. Mudders, we love you. We love your family. It’s safe to say that I want to be just like Ruby when I grow up, and I want to be as patient and gentle as Ransom. There are few on this earth who love as deeply as you do.

Jeni (Rone) Becker of Seastar Arts taught me Sunday school when I was considerably younger, photographed mine and my brother’s wedding, is a Calamas family favorite, and now we are pregnant TOGETHER! Little Luke is due in September, so he’ll have a few months to prepare for how he’s going to ask out little girl to be his first girlfriend. ;) This is Jeni’s first and I was so excited to snap a few pictures for her to remember this sweet event. All of the gorgeous graphic art you see is by Sarah Reed of Dodeline Design, who hosted the shower in her gorgeous, newly renovated home. (I’m totally stealing some of these genius ideas such as decorating various sized onesies!)

After many rained out evenings and surprisingly cold days, we finally landed on a beautiful spring day to take these sweet maternity photos! Can’t wait to meet this baby boy. Great job, Evan and Alicia! You beauty and kindness is so evident.

Alison and Mike win the award for the most chill wedding people in the history of ever. I actually got to meet Alison in person a bit before their engagement shoot because she selflessly came to the house of prayer with us to be there to pray for Ellie. I didn’t even recognize her at first because we hadn’t met in person yet and I was blown away by her willingness to come. Through the months leading up to their wedding, she frequently wanted to know how we were doing with it all and so when it was time for their engagement shoot I felt like I already knew them. Both of them are incredibly layed back and un-phased..and this was absolutely true for their wedding day as well. There was a lot of laughter, a lot of moonshine, and a lot of beautiful weather. Congratulations, you two..you guys make a gorgeous family.

And now…she’s a toddler. And she’s a gorgeous child. I’ve been digging super clean backgrounds lately and I think it’s super fun to do with toddler-aged children because their personality gets the attention rather than their surroundings. So here she is: just Alora and her adorably cute and silly personality.